Below Wing and Sun

setlisi: Do you know our traditional dress? TRADITIONAL...

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:44:20 -0400

Do you know our traditional dress?

TRADITIONAL DRESS

Another version of the National Dress, the Wob Dwiyet introduced in the 18th century and worn as a formal gown worn on special occasions, e.g. christenings, weddings, processions etc. is still worn today. It is a long one piece dress with a train, made of bright colored fabric, sometimes brocaded satin with floral design. The back is full, with a pleated seam at the waist. A tie extending from the sides and tying in front holds the dress in place.

It is worn over a petticoat (slip) which appears when the dress has been lifted on the right or on the left. The sleeves are always long, and the neck can be round or heart-shaped. The petticoat is made of taffeta, satin or chantilly lace, decorated with insertion lace and ribbon, and superimposed, gathered and pleated flounces and lace.

In order to avoid being hampered by the train, the wearer picks up the folds of the dress and elegantly throws it over the left or right arm allowing the long petticoat to show. The foulard, a triangular scarf made of satin material with the apex at the centre of the back, is worn around the neck and shoulders and is held in place by a brooch.

The head-dress worn with the Wob is the calendeuse one peak head-dress, or tête casé and is a flat version of the headpiece. It is made of the same material as the dress, or of madras. It has a peak called provocacion towards the front, and a gold pin or brooch is attached to the base of the peak. Bracelets, large hoop earrings and necklaces complete the ensemble.

Source

awakeningapril: fyeahblackhistory: The Kandakes of Kush....

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:03:04 -0400

awakeningapril:

fyeahblackhistory:

The Kandakes of Kush.

Kandake, also known as Candace, Kendake or Kentake was the title for queens and queen mothers of the ancient African Kingdom of Kush, also known as Nubia and Ethiopia.

They were known as Nubian warrior queens, queen regents, and Ruling queen mothers. They controlled what is now Ethiopia, Sudan, and parts of Egypt. They co-ruled the Meroitic with their brothers (not their husbands), a trait of matrilineal societies. They were buried with rich treasure in their own pyramids.

Reliefs dated to about 170 B.C. reveal Kandake Shanakdakheto, dressed in armor and wielding a spear in battle. She did not rule as queen regent or queen mother but as a fully independent ruler. Her husband was her consort. Reliefs found in the ruins of building projects she commissioned, Shanakdakheto is portrayed both alone as well as with her husband and son, who would inherit the throne by her passing.

One of the most well known Kandakes was Amanishakheto known for defeating the Roman invasion of Nubia by Augustus and subsequently brokering a favorable peace treaty.

Conclusion

The “Kandakes/Candaces” serve as examples of women as powerful figures or clever strategists in their roles as queens, as warrior queens, or as romantic figures, they have had great appeal in times past, and will continue to do so in this present era of feminist or humanist interest in the subject.

Click here for more

References: Nubian Queens in the Nile Valley and Afro-Asiatic Cultural History - Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, Professor of Anthropology, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston U.S.A, August 20-26, 1998

!!!!!

caribbeancivilisation: Do you know our traditional...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:12:19 -0400

caribbeancivilisation:

Do you know our traditional dress?

TRADITIONAL DRESS

Another version of the National Dress, the Wob Dwiyet introduced in the 18th century and worn as a formal gown worn on special occasions, e.g. christenings, weddings, processions etc. is still worn today. It is a long one piece dress with a train, made of bright colored fabric, sometimes brocaded satin with floral design. The back is full, with a pleated seam at the waist. A tie extending from the sides and tying in front holds the dress in place.

It is worn over a petticoat (slip) which appears when the dress has been lifted on the right or on the left. The sleeves are always long, and the neck can be round or heart-shaped. The petticoat is made of taffeta, satin or chantilly lace, decorated with insertion lace and ribbon, and superimposed, gathered and pleated flounces and lace.

In order to avoid being hampered by the train, the wearer picks up the folds of the dress and elegantly throws it over the left or right arm allowing the long petticoat to show. The foulard, a triangular scarf made of satin material with the apex at the centre of the back, is worn around the neck and shoulders and is held in place by a brooch.

The head-dress worn with the Wob is the calendeuse one peak head-dress, or tête casé and is a flat version of the headpiece. It is made of the same material as the dress, or of madras. It has a peak called provocacion towards the front, and a gold pin or brooch is attached to the base of the peak. Bracelets, large hoop earrings and necklaces complete the ensemble.

Source

Photo

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:05:00 -0400

iwouldhaveyousmileagain: (via 20 Ways to Tie a Head Scarf |...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:44:55 -0400

iwouldhaveyousmileagain:

(via 20 Ways to Tie a Head Scarf | Scarves.net)

queennubian: afro-art-chick: Maryzo Designs |“Pink Royalty”...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:10:07 -0500

queennubian:

afro-art-chick:

Maryzo Designs |“Pink Royalty” Collection Lookbook | Dedicated to Breast Cancer Survivors

…..where can I buy?

I need that skirt.

NEED

lackadaisycats: algrenion: here have a nice website for fantasy/historical clothing designs Great...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:10:14 -0500

lackadaisycats:

algrenion:

here have a nice website for fantasy/historical clothing designs

Great stuff! Reblogging for people who’ve asked me about finding historical clothing references online.

meeshay: skinks: so how bout them male belly dancers then hot...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:01:48 -0500

meeshay:

skinks:

so how bout them male belly dancers then

hot damn.

Photo

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:02:28 -0500

nannaia: Evolution of Chinese Clothing and Cheongsam Chinese...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:01:51 -0500

nannaia:

Evolution of Chinese Clothing and Cheongsam

Chinese clothing has approximately 5,000 years of history behind it, but regrettably I am only able to cover 2,500 years in this fashion timeline. I began with the Han dynasty as the term hanfu (Chinese clothing) was coined in that period. Please bear in mind that this is only a generalized timeline of Chinese clothing primarily featuring aristocratic and upper-class ethnic Han Chinese women (the exceptions are Fig. 8 (dancer) and Fig. 11 (maid, due to the fact I couldn’t find many paintings in this period)).

My resources are mainly the books: 5,000 years of Chinese Costume, China Chic: East Meets West, and Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation. 5,000 years of Chinese Costume is an invaluable resource (though sadly currently out of print), I would highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it.

Han Dynasty:

“In the Han Dynasty, as of old, the one-piece garment remained the formal dress for women. However, it was somewhat different from that of the Warring States Period, in that it had an increased number of curves in the front and broadened lower hems. Close-fitting at the waist, it was always tied with a silk girdle.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 32)

Wei and Jin dynasties:

“On the whole, the costumes of the Wei and Jin period still followed the patterns of Qin and Han.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 54)

“From the costumes worn by the benefactors in the Dunhuang murals and the costumes of the pottery figurines unearthed in Louyang, it can be seen that women’s costumes in the period of Wei and Jin were generally large and loose. The upper garment opened at the front and was tied at the waist. The sleeves were broad and fringed at the cuffs with decorative borders of a different colour. The skirt had spaced coloured stripes and was tied with a white silk band at the waist. There was also an apron between the upper garment and skirt for the purpose of fastening the waist. Apart from wearing a multi-coloured skirt, women also wore other kinds such as the crimson gauze-covered skirt, the red-blue striped gauze double skirt, and the barrel-shaped red gauze skirt. Many of these styles are mentioned in historical records.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 65)

Southern and Northern Dynasties:

“During the Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, though men no longer wore the traditional one-piece garment, some women continued to do so. However, the style was quite different from that seen in the Han Dynasty. Typically the women’s dress was decorated with xian and shao. The latter refers to pieces of silk cloth sewn onto the lower hem of the dress, which were wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that triangles were formed overlapping each other. Xian refers to some relatively long ribbons which extended from the short-cut skirt. While the wearer was walking, these lengthy ribbons made the sharp corners n the lower hem wave like a flying swallow, hence the Chinese phrase ‘beautiful ribbons and flying swallowtail’.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 62)

“During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, costumes underwent further changes in style. The long flying ribbons were no longer seen and the swallowtailed corners became enlarged. As a result the flying ribbons and swallowtailed corners were combined into one.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 62)

Sui Dynasty:

“During the period of the Sui and early Tang, a short jacket with tight sleeves was worn in conjunction with a tight long skirt whose waist was fastened almost to the armpits with a silk ribbon. In the ensuing century, the style of this costume remained basically the same, except for some minor changes such as letting out the jacket and/or its sleeves.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 88)

Tang Dynasty:

“The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous period in China’s feudal society. Changan (now Xian, Shananxi Province), the capital, was the political, economic and cultural centre of the nation. […] Residents in Changan included people of such nationalities as Huihe (Uygur,) Tubo (Tibetan), and Nanzhao (Yi), and even Japanese, Xinluo (Korean), Persian and Arabian. Meanwhile, people frequently travelled to and fro between countries like Vietnam, India and the East Roman Empire and Changan, thus spreading Chinese culture to other parts of the world.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 76)

“…all the national minorities and foreign envoys who thronged the streets of Changan also contributed something of their own culture to the Tang. Consequently, paintings, carvings, music and dances of the Tang absorbed something of foreign skills and styles. The Tang government adopted the policy of taking in every exotic form whether or hats or clothing, so that Tang costumes became increasingly picturesque and beautiful.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 88)

“Women of the Tang Dynasty paid particular attention to facial appearance, and the application of powder or even rouge was common practice. Some women’s foreheads were painted dark yellow and the dai (a kind of dark blue pigment) was used to paint their eyebrows into different shapes that were called dai mei (painted eyebrows) in general.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 89)

“In the years of Tianbao during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, women used to wear men’s costumes. This was not only a fashion among commoners, but also for a time it spread to the imperial court and became customary for women of high birth.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 89)

Song Dynasty

“The hairstyle of the women of the Song Dynasty still followed the fashion of the later period of the Tang Dynasty, the high bun being the favoured style. Women’s buns were often more than a foot in height.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Women’s upper garments consisted mainly of coat, blouse, loose-sleeved dress, over-dress, short-sleeved jacket and vest. The lower garment was mostly a skirt.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Women in the Song Dynasty seldom wore boots, since binding the feet had become fashionable.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Although historians do not know exactly how or why foot binding began, it was apparently initially associated with dancers at the imperial court and professional female entertainers in the capital. During the Song dynasty (960-1279) the practice spread from the palace and entertainment quarters into the homes of the elite. ‘By the thirteenth century, archeological evidence shows clearly that foot-binding was practiced among the daughters and wives of officials,’ reports Patricia Buckley Ebrey […] Over the course of the next few centuries foot binding became increasingly common among gentry families, and the practice eventually penetrated the mass of the Chinese people.” (Chinese Chic: East Meets West, pg. 37-38)

Yuan Dynasty:

“Han women continued to wear the jacket and skirt. However, the choice of darker shades and buttoning on the left showed Mongolian influence.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 131)

“After the Mongols settled down in the Central Plains, Mongolian customs and costumes also had their influence on those of the Han people. While remaining the main costume for Han women, the jacket and skirt had deviated greatly in style from those of the Tang and Song periods. Tight-fitting garments gave way to big, loose ones; and collar, sleeves and skirt became straight. In addition, lighter more serene colours gained preference.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 142)

Ming Dynasty:

“The clothing for women in the Ming Dynasty consisted mainly of gowns, coats, rosy capes, over-dresses with or without sleeves, and skirts. These styles were imitations of ones first seen in the Tang and Song Dynasties. However, the openings were on the right-hand side, according to the Han Dynasty convention.” ((5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 147)

“The formal dress for commoners could only be made of coarse purple cloth, and no gold embroidery was allowed. Gowns could only in such light colours as purple, green and pink; and in no case should crimson, reddish blue or yellow be used. These regulations were observed for over a decade, and it was not until the 14^th year of Hong Wu that minor changes were made.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 147)

Qing Dynasty

When China fell under Manchurian rule, Chinese men were forced to adopt Manchurian customs. As a sign of submission, the new government made a decree that men must shave their head and wear the Manchurian queue or lose their heads. Many choose the latter.

On the other hand, Chinese women were not pressured to adopt Manchurian clothing and fashions. “Women, in general, wore skirts as their lower garments, and red skirts were for women of position. At first, there were still the “phoenix-tail” skirt and the “moonlight” skirt and others from the Ming tradition. However the styles evolved with the passage of time: some skirts were adorned with ribbons that floated in the air when one walked; some had little bells fastened under them: others had their lower edge embroidered with wavy designs. As the dynasty drew to an end, the wearing of trousers became the fashion among commoner women. There were trousers with full crotches and over trousers, both made of silk embroidered with patters.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 173)

The Manchurians attempted several times to eradicate the practice of foot-binding, but were largely unsuccessful. Manchurian women admired the gait of bound women but were effectively banned from practicing food-binding. Hence, a “flower pot shoe” later came into creation and it allowed its wearer the same unsteady gait but without any need for foot-binding.

Republic Era

Women traditionally bound their breasts in the Ming and Qing dynasties with tight fitting vests and continued to do so in the early 20^th century.

“The vests were called xiaomajia ‘little vest’ or xiaoshan ‘little shirt” “used by Chinese women as underclothing for the upper part of the body.” (Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation: Finnane pg 162) “Doudu [is] a sort of apron for the upper body […] in former times the doudu had been worn by everyone, old and young, male and female. The young wore red, the middle-aged wore white or grey-green, the elderly wore black. A little pocket sewn into the top was used by adults to secrete them money and by children their sweets. When a girl got engaged, she would show off her embroidery skills by sending an elaborately worked doudu to her fiancé, decorated with bats for good forturne and pomegranates, symbolizing many sons.” (Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation: Finnane pg 162)

A ban on bound breasts began in 1927, in which the government started advocating for the “Natural Breast Movement”. Despite this, bound breasts still widely continued into the 1930s. The government also banned earrings as it fell under the criteria of deforming the natural body. The 1930s also saw the introduction of the western/French bra come to Shanghai.

“The little vest was designed to constrain the breasts and streamline the body. Such a garment was necessary to look comme il faut around 1908, when (as J. Dyer Ball observed): ‘fashion decreed that jackets should fit tight, though not yielding to the contours of the figure, except in the slightest degree, as such an exposure of the body would be considered immodest.’ It became necessary again in the mid-twenties, when the jacket-blouse—a garment cut on rounded lines – began to give way to the qipao. At this stage, darts were not used to tailor the bodice or upper part of the qipao, nor would they be till the mid-fifties. The most that could be done by way of further fitting the qipao to the bosom was to stretch the material at the right places through ironing. Under these circumstances, breast-binding must have made the tailor’s task easier.” (Finnane 163, Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation)

Successful eradication of bound feet would not come until the 1949 when the People’s Republic of China came into power.

1950s-1960’s

Under the People’s Republic of China, very few mainland women wore the cheongsam, save for ceremonial attire. Clothing became de-sexualized for mainlanders.

It was the flip side in Hong Kong, as the cheongsam continued its function as everyday wear which lasted until the late 1960s. The cheongsam in the 1950s and 1960s became even tighter fitting to further accentuate feminine curves. Western clothing became the default after the late 1960s, though the cheongsam continued to survive as uniforms for students (who donned a looser and androgynous version), waitresses, brides, and beauty contestants.

21^st century

Designers today are creating new forms of the qipao/cheongsam. The mermaid tail appears to be a current popular trend.

indesinadustan: Traditional Dresses of South Asia by...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:46:07 -0500

indesinadustan:

Traditional Dresses of South Asia by =DizneyKhan

afghanistaninphotos: Traditional Dresses of Afghanistan

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:44:11 -0500

afghanistaninphotos:

Traditional Dresses of Afghanistan

morenamagia: fantasyfutbol: AFRICAN HAIRSTYLES: STYLES OF...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:36:17 -0500

morenamagia:

fantasyfutbol:

AFRICAN HAIRSTYLES: STYLES OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY

//ESI SAGAY

so much beauty.

palaceofposey: Estella Daniels (well, referenced anyway) elf,...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:00:11 -0500

palaceofposey:

Estella Daniels (well, referenced anyway) elf, as requested/inspired by aragingquiet and malenkydevil.

Mansa Musa - One of the Richest men who ever lived

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:19:40 -0500

knowledgeequalsblackpower:

nok-ind:

Mansa Musa, ‘The Lion of Mali’ was the tenth mansa, better known as “king of kings” or “emperor”, of the Malian Empire of Mali West Africa. He became one of the most powerful and wealthiest leaders of his time. He made Mali’s name renowned in the imaginations of European and Islamic countries In the 14^th century.

The wealth he commanded, social customs and grandeur of his court, led to the kingdom of Mali being internationally revered (Cheney 2004).

Image 1. Mansu Musa on his pilgrimage to Mecca

He is most noted for his pilgrimage to Mecca which put Mali on the map, Degraft-Johnson (1998) noted, ‘It was in 1324 … that the world awoke to the splendour and grandeur of Mali. There across the African desert, and making its way to Mecca, was a caravan of a size which had never before been seen, a caravan consisting of 60,000 men. They were Mansa Musa’s men, and Mansa Musa was with them. He was not going to war: he was merely going to worship at Mecca. The huge caravan included a personal retinue of 12,000 servants, all dressed in brocade and Persian silk. Mansa Musa himself rode on horseback, and directly preceding him were 500 servants, each carrying a staff of gold weighing about six pounds (500 mitkal). In Egypt, Musa spent so much money in gold that he devastated that nation’s economy. For years after Mansa Musa’s visit, ordinary people in the streets of Cairo, Mecca, and Baghdad talked about this wonderful pilgrimage - a pilgrimage which led to the devaluation of gold in the Middle East for several years.”

Cynthia Crossen wrote in her book ‘The Rich’ ,”You’ve heard about the extraordinary wealth of Bill Gates, J. P. Morgan, and the sultan of Brunei, but have you heard of Mansa Musa, one of the richest men who ever lived?. He was Neither producer nor inventor, Mansa Musa was an early broker, greasing the wheels of intercultural trade. He created wealth by making it possible for others to buy and sell”. Basil Davidson suggested that the rulers of Mali were “rumoured to have been the wealthiest men on the face of the earth” (Davidson 1995).

Image 2. Mansa Musa presiding over his Kingdom

His pilgrimage planted Mali in men’s minds and its riches fired up the imagination. In 1339, Mali appeared on a “Map of the World”. In 1367, another map of the world showed a road leading from North Africa through the Atlas Mountains into the Western Sudan. In 1375 a third map of the world showed a richly attired monarch holding a large gold nugget in the area south of the Sahara. Also, trade between Egypt and Mali flourished (Black History Pages 2008).

Image 3. Depiction of Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century, from a 1375 Catalan Atlas of the known world (mapamundi), drawn by Abraham Cresques of Mallorca. Musa is shown holding a gold nugget and wearing a European-style crown.

On his return from Mecca he brought back with him an Arabic library, religious scholars, and architects, who helped him build a royal palace universities, libraries and mosques all over his kingdom (Black History Pages 2oo8). For example the mosque of the University of Sankore was highly distinguished for the teaching of Koranic theology and law, besides other subjects such as astronomy and mathematics. Micheal Palin, a BBC programme maker noted In 2002 on his return from Timbuktu reported that the Great Mosque of Timbuktu “has a collection of scientific texts that clearly show the planets circling the sun. They date back hundreds of years … It is convincing evidence that the scholars of Timbuktu knew a lot more than their counterparts in Europe”. Furthermore he went on to say “In the 15th century in Timbuktu, the mathematicians knew about the details of the eclipse, knew things which we had to wait for 150, almost 200 years to know in Europe when Galileo and Copernicus came up with these same calculations and were given a very hard time for it” (Palin 2002).

Image 4. Djenne’s Monday market surrounding its Great Mosque, Mali

He strengthened Islam and promoted education, trade, and commerce in Mali. Laying the foundations for Walata, Jenne, and Timbuktu to become the cultural and commercial centers of North Africa (Walker 2005). Infact Timbuktu became one of the major cultural centers of not only Africa but of the entire Islamic world producing Arabic-language black literature in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. (Walker 2005)

Image 5. Video game depiction of Mansu Musa

Mansa Musa ruled for 25 years, bringing prosperity and stability to Mali and expanding the empire he inherited. Mali achieved the apex of its territorial expansion under Mansa Musa. The Mali Empire extended from the Atlantic coast in the west to Songhai far down the Niger bend to the east: from the salt mines of Taghaza in the north to the legendary gold mines of Wangara in the south.

In conclusion He brought stability and good government to Mali, spreading its fame abroad and making it truly “remarkable both for its extent and for its wealth and a striking example of the capacity of black Africans for political organization” (E.W. Bovill, 1958,The Golden Trade of the Moors). His example serves as inspiration as to what Diaspora can achieve today!!

Image 6. Mansu Musa’s journey

Isn’t it ironic that mali is now one of the 25 poorest countries in the world. At the height of its power, Mali had at least 400 cities, and the interior of the Niger Delta was very densely populated. Timbuktu rose from obscurity to great commercial and cultural importance. It became a centre of learning, one of the foremost centres of Islamic scholarship in the world.

References:

Cheny, L, V (1994). The end of History. Wall street Journal. 10/20/94

Crossen, C. (2001). The Rich and How They Got That Way: How the Wealthiest People of All Time—from Genghis Khan to Bill Gates—Made Their Fortunes. Crown Publishing Group

Conrad, D, C. (2005) Empires Of Medieval West Africa: Ghana, Mali, And Songhay (Great Empires of the Past). Facts on file

Davidson, B. (1995) Africa in history.

Degraft- Johnson, J,C. African Glory (1998) Black Classic Press.

Palin, M. (2002) Sahara. BBC

Walker, R. (2005) When we Ruled the world. Every Generation Media

Web links:

Black History pages (2008) Mansa Musa. (Black history pages) [Online] available from:http://blackhistorypages.net/pages/mansamusa.php

Walker, R. (2005) Mansa Musa of Mali (ruled 1312-1337 AD) (When we Ruled the world.) [Online] available from:http://www.whenweruled.com/articles.php?lng=en&pg=22

I bolded that little bit to emphasize this point: Mansa Musa’s hajj to Egypt set in motion a lot of things. Because of it, Europeans heard about the immense riches to be found in West Africa (as evidenced by Mansa Musa’s inclusion on the 1375 Catalan Atlas). They became determined to get there, and by the mid-1400s, they would be on the coast of Africa (and bringing their first shipments of slaves back to Europe).

So, for me, Mansa Musa represents more than just some really rich man. His riches peaked Europe’s greedy interest in Africa. No longer would it be the kind of simple interactions that had existed before. From then on Europe would begin looting from Africa. And they still do it today.

grunler: Crossbowman

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:04:31 -0500

grunler:

Crossbowman

Photo

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:07:53 -0500

Photo

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:27:49 -0400

nok-ind: The Yoruba Orisha Part 1 (Part 2) An Orisha (also...

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:59:09 -0400

Yemaya YEMAJA: Yoruba Divine Mother Orisha [goddess] of mankind, Divinity of the Sea, Daughter of Obatala and wife of Agayu. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

Erinle ERINLE: Yoruba Orisha [god] of Physical Health and Wellness. He is the medical physician to the Orishas aka gods. I found it interesting that this god’s name started with ER (Emergency Room)

ESHU: Yoruba Orisha [god] of Crossroads - Messenger between Humans and Deities. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

IBEJI: Yoruba Orishas of Youth and Vitality. Also known as the SACRED TWINS of the Yoruba Deities of Orishas. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OBATALA: Yoruba Orisha [god] of Humankind, Spiritual and Moral Uprightness. King of White Cloth and second son of Olorun. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OBBA: Yoruba Orisha [goddess] of Marriage and Domesticity. She is the banished wife of Shango who later becomes the lover of Orunmila. She is also the daughter of Yemaja. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OCHUMARE: Yoruba Orisha [god] of Direct Movement aka Rainbow-Serpent, Guardian of Children, Lord of Elongated things and The Controller of the "UMBILICAL CORD". Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OGUN: Yoruba Warrior Orisha [god] of Iron, Labor, Politics, Sacrifices and Technology of the Yoruba. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OKO: Yoruba Orisha [god] of Agriculture and the Harvest. Courtesy: James C. Lewis

OLOKUN: Yoruba Orisha [god] of the Deep Ocean, The Abyss and signifies Unfathomable Wisdom.

nok-ind:

The Yoruba Orisha Part 1 (Part 2)

An Orisha (also spelled Orisa or Orixa) is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God) in the Yoruba religious system. (Olodumare is also known by various other names includ
ing Olorun, Eledumare, Eleda and

Olofin-Orun). This religion has found its way throughout the world and is now expressed in practices as varied as Candomblé, Lucumí/Santería, Shango in Trinidad, Anago and Oyotunji, as well as in some aspects of Umbanda, Winti, Obeah, Vodun and a host of others.

These varieties or spiritual lineages are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Togo, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela among others. As interest in Yoruba religion system grows, Orisha communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 150 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide.

(Please note many Orisha have male/female personifications)

Click here for a Brief understanding.

Courtesy: James C. Lewis (http://www.noire3000studios.com/)

nok-ind: YORUBA AFRICAN ORISHAS: These are the gods &...

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:57:51 -0400

nok-ind:

YORUBA AFRICAN ORISHAS: These are the gods & goddesses of the IFA Religion which originated in Nigeria West Africa. Due to the slave trade the religion spread to Brazil, Cuba, The Caribbean and several other areas around the globe. There are over 400 Orishas however, approximately 20 key deities are still readily known and worshipped.

An Orisha (also spelled Orisa or Orixa) is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God) in the Yoruba religious system. (Olodumare is also known by various other names includ

ing Olorun, Eledumare, Eleda and Olofin-Orun). This religion has found its way throughout the world and is now expressed in practices as varied as Candomblé, Lucumí/Santería, Shango in Trinidad, Anago and Oyotunji, as well as in some aspects of Umbanda, Winti, Obeah, Vodun and a host of others.

These varieties or spiritual lineages are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Togo, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela among others. As interest in Yoruba religion system grows, Orisha communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 150 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide.